


Wally's Visit to the Sewers

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: The Flash & Hawkgirl [8]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: Mason was missing. Doctor Wells was not who he said he was. And his sister had been lying to him for months. Wally did have one clue though, one place he might be able to find answers about where Mason was
Series: The Flash & Hawkgirl [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859986
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Wally's Visit to the Sewers

Linda Park was Wally’s favourite colleague. She was supportive, always helped double check spelling and that he was doing everything right, she was a good friend, a great reporter, Wally definitely admired that gumption Mason said she had, she stood up for what was right, and he really appreciated her letting him borrow her car instead of calling him paranoid.

Wally may have been a little paranoid. He definitely needed to refill the tank for Linda before giving it back and maybe he could convince his dad to make one of Grandma Esther’s sweet potato pies for her too. He didn’t often make those, it would take some convincing, but Linda deserved it. Or maybe he could convince Barry to finally tell him his Bubbe Rachel’s apple pie recipe, Barry already knew he needed some kind of pie for Linda and asking his dad for pie would mean explaining exactly why he needed it and there was a reason he’d asked Barry for help not his dad.

And now he couldn’t stop thinking about pie.

“Are you lost?” Barry asked. “You’re driving like Lisa Snart trying to shake a tail. What’s the address, I’ll-”

“Hey, I think your battery is getting low,” Wally said. Barry frowned.

“You shouldn’t take your eyes off the road,” he said. “But you’re right, I’m sure I charged that earlier, I must have forgotten.” He put his phone away. “All right, it’s off, completely, what is this about?”

“Okay, full disclosure, I don’t have a friend with the flu.”

“I did guess that,” Barry said. “What’s going on?”

“Have you heard about people going missing in the sewers? There’s a few people who have reported having seizures down there too.”

“You could have just asked if you wanted some advice.”

“No, I think Mason’s down there.”

“Mason Bridge your missing mentor, that Mason? Was he looking into this?”

“According to some papers that were found at his apartment. The police said they looked but people have been disappearing down there for a year now, why would they bother with one extra person? It sounds like the perfect way to cover up another one. Why didn’t Iris tell me she’s the Flash?”

“What?”

“I know you know, Barry, I know you’ve all been lying to me for months, I just want to know why.”

“She wanted to protect you. I have seen her hurt so many times, everything that’s happened this year, she just wanted to protect you from it all.”

“But you know. Dad knows. Kendra knows. Cisco knows. It’s just me she wanted left out.”

“She loves you and she didn’t want you running headfirst into danger.”

“Like she does.”

“It’s a conversation you need to have with Iris, not me, but I am sorry.”

“Did you agree with her?”

“I’m evidence it’s dangerous to be involved with the Flash. Look at me. I have been kidnapped several times, I was tied to a bomb, I lost my leg, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I lost her once, I can’t do it again, I’m a doctor, I have to look after her. I don’t know how right now, it’s not like I can do surgery sitting down, but I can’t lose her. She’s my best friend. I guess I thought that I don’t have powers and keep getting hurt maybe they’d decide I needed to be kept safe too and pushed away? And it wasn’t my secret to tell, just like you didn’t mention meeting the Arrow. No, that’s not fair, Wally, I should have encouraged her to talk to you, I am sorry for the part I played in keeping this from you.”

“If I tell her I know, will she push me away again?”

“She just wants you safe.”

“Mason’s article wasn’t about people going missing in the sewers. He was working on a piece about Harrison Wells. He has evidence he might be-”

“The Reverse Flash. I know. Hartley told me. About Wells, not Mason.”

“Did you tell Iris?”

“Why would I believe him? He tried to kill Iris. He was working with Caitlin, she betrayed us, she froze my leg, Doctor Wells saved Iris, he’s been helping people recover after the accelerator which apparently Hartley sabotaged, and Hartley says Doctor Wells sabotaged it, Doctor Wells has helped us so many times, why do I believe Hartley over him?”

“Mason has evidence. I’ve seen it.”

“Joe trusted him with Iris’ life on my word. Iris was in a coma, completely vulnerable, and I put her life in the hands of the man who murdered Francine and who told her he wants her dead.”

“He said that?”

“When Reverse Flash announced himself right before Christmas. He attacked her. And Reverse Flash hurt Doctor Wells too, I don’t understand how he can be both.”

“A friend of mine in Starling did some digging into the accident that killed Tess Morgan. They found a body.”

“She-”

“No, Barry, they found a man. There’s more they have to do, get confirmation, Felicity said this was just the initial findings and Starling’s crime lab think they got it wrong so are running the tests again but Tina McGee said he was a completely different person after that night, there’s so much Mason found, you don’t work for Harrison Wells. Harrison Wells has been dead for fifteen years.”

“Pull over.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“Please pull over, I don’t want to make a mess in Linda’s car.”

“Right.” Wally put the hazard lights on and pulled into the first spot he found. Barry opened the door and almost tumbled out the car. “Barry?”

“I’m okay,” he said. “I’m okay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m having a nightmare, that’s all.”

“Sir?” a woman asked. “Everything okay over here?” She narrowed her eyes at Wally. He wasn’t going to feel bad about calling her old then.

“Yes,” Barry said. “Thank you, ma’am, just a moment of car sickness, my little brother and I are on our way to the pharmacy, remind me to pick up anti-sickness tablets this time?”

“Already wrote them on the list,” Wally said. “You okay now?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Barry said. “Might need a little help up.”

“I’ve got you.” Wally helped Barry back into the car and shut the door behind him. “Thanks for stopping, ma’am, he’s been through a lot recently.”

“Glad everything’s fine.”

Wally saw her watching them in the mirror as he pulled away again, but when he checked again, she’d vanished.

“Sure you’re okay?” Wally asked.

“Not at all,” Barry said. “We need to tell Iris.”

“I know. I need to find Mason first though.”

“Is this because she didn’t tell you that? Wally-”

“Mason was writing a story on Wells or whoever he is. He wanted to talk to Hartley Rathaway then vanished right before he showed up with his allegations the accelerator was deliberately flawed. He has all the evidence. People won’t believe this without it.”

“You think Doctor Wells made Mason disappear. That’s why you’re doing all this. And you want to go into the sewer looking for him. Alone.”

“I know where people have been reporting the incidents, Linda knows where I’m going, you know where I’m going, and you have the Flash on speed dial if anything goes wrong. Trust me.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea right now. But I will be an hour tops, if I’m not back by then then you can call Iris. Deal?”

“Fine,” Barry said.

* * *

Sneaking into the sewers was easier than Wally expected. He just put a high vis jacket and a hard hat on and no one looked twice.

He’d brought a disposable camera too. Left his phone at Picture News. Perhaps this was slightly too paranoid. But Harrison Wells was a liar, killed his mother, wanted his sister dead apparently, and had made his mentor disappear, as well as definitely killing Simon Stagg and probably several other people, including the real Harrison Wells and probably Tess Morgan too.

Wally kept walking. Maybe he should have asked Linda if she wanted to come into the sewers with him. Mason wouldn’t mind him telling Linda about his article, he liked Linda.

Maybe he should turn back. Maybe this was a mistake.

Someone had to find Mason.

Wally kept walking. There had to be a clue somewhere.

His watch said he’d been down there twenty minutes when he found the writing on the wall. It was covered, a huge stretch floor to ceiling, possibly written with charcoal on the brick, equations, words, nothing Wally could make any sense of. One word was repeated over and over though, Grodd, and maybe he should have brought Barry, crutches or not, because he was sure that sounded familiar.

He took some photographs. Barry could help him work it out when he’d developed them.

Maybe he should turn back. He had told Barry he’d be back in an hour; he’d panic otherwise. An hour was probably too long, Barry would already be panicking, and Cisco would probably start if he couldn’t get hold of Barry and Wally had asked him to keep his phone off.

There was someone standing at the end of this part. Wally shone his head torch.

“Mason?”

Mason didn’t respond. His expression was completely blank.

Pain flared behind Wally’s eyes and visions of needles and some kind of operation flashed in front of him. He clutched his head.

He could hear footsteps now, much heavier than a person’s, and Wally really, really wished he’d asked someone to come with him.

Everything went dark.


End file.
